This invention relates generally to containers for storing and shipping heavy cargo that is subject to rolling and/or shifting in transport. More particularly, it concerns an improved container that includes a dome-like lid and a base with plural restraining chocks that easily may be positioned on it for a variety of cargo arrangements, and that provides a lift arm that allows removing of the dome-like lid from the base.
Cargo containers are known that provide for storage and shipping of heavy cargo that is subject to rolling. Cargo containers also are known that provide for the stable storage and shipping of heavy cargo that is subject to sliding or other shifting movement. Many such containers are equipped with restraining blocks having inclined and concavely curved or vertical planar working surfaces that are attachable to the container's base and/or lid in fixed positions with fasteners. Such containers are not easily configured for accommodating heavy and laterally shifting cargo such as sheet metal, e.g. heavy gauge steel, which typically is prepared for shipping and storage by rolling it in one or more cylindrical coils of various sizes.
Most such containers rely for handling upon pallet-like bases having rectangular-tubular receivers for forklift handling. Often the weight of such containers is as great as that of their cargo, because the containers themselves are made of heavy gauge steel.
In addition, such conventional steel cargo containers do not have insulative qualities. It would be desirable to have insulated cargo carriers for shipping steel coils to reduce the possibility of rust forming on the coils due to moisture that collects on them when the loaded, conventional cargo container is placed in a relatively cold transport vehicle such as the hull of a ship. Moisture collects on the steel coils due to condensation caused by an elevated-temperature condition within the container (the coils are at elevated temperatures when placed in such containers at steel manufacturing facilities) and a relatively low-temperature condition in the ship's hull. As a result of the "warm inside-cold outside" condition with respect to the loaded cargo container in the ship's hull, gaseous water in air condenses to a liquid on inside surfaces of the container and on the coil itself. Water formed on the inside surfaces of the container, particularly the inner surface of the lid, falls onto the coil. Undesirably, rust can form on the coil from such moisture.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved multi-purpose container that is highly configurable for various shapes and sizes of cargo.
Another object is to provide such a container with a base that includes plural recesses formed with plural openings into which corresponding projections of plural, multi-positionable and -orientable chocks easily and securely may be fitted.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such chocks with a bottom surface positionable within such a recess and with two or more working surfaces having different inclinations from the horizontal for restricting lateral movement of cargo of various shapes and/or sizes.
It is another important object to provide a container the sidewalls of which are thermally insulative for reducing the possibility of rust forming on metallic cargo.
One more object is to provide the dome-like lid of such a container with an improved lift mechanism for container stackability and ease of handling.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a container that is durable yet relatively lightweight, and is manufacturable cost-effectively.
Briefly summarizing the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cargo container is rectilinear with a rectangular base and a dome-like lid attachable to it. The base has formed therein plural parallel linearly extending recesses having plural regularly spaced openings formed therein. The dome-like lid includes a planar horizontal cover that is coextensive with the base. Extending downwardly from the cover are angular corner posts with flanges for receiving interchangeably fastenable panels. The panels are preferably made of an insulative polyaramid material. The corner posts and panels thus form sidewalls that extend downwardly from the cover to removably connect with the perimeter of the base. The dome-like lid is equipped with a lift arm that normally assumes an inclined orientation for grappling by the hook of a lifting device and, when so engaged, pivots to a vertical deployment position for lifting and removing the lid from the base. Also, the lift arm pivots into a horizontal stowage position when another container is stacked on top of such a container.
The invention also includes plural chocks for restricting lateral movement of the cargo, each chock being dimensioned to be received partially within one of the recesses. Each chock includes a bottom surface for engagement with a lower support region of a recess, the bottom surface having plural spaced, depending projections for insertion into corresponding openings of the recess. Each chock has at least one first working surface extending upwardly at an oblique angle to the chock's bottom surface for resistively confronting the curved outer surface of rolling cargo and at least one second working surface extending vertically for resistively confronting a vertical surface of relatively stationary cargo. The chocks can be positioned and oriented in various ways relative to the base to accommodate a wide variety of shapes and sizes of heavy cargo.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent by reading the following description and by referring to the accompanying drawings.